Electrolytic cleaning device



ATI'ORNEY E. C. OLSON ELECTROLYTIC CLEANING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1962 wr v 1 \J. Ir w 1.; a H a m/ all 4a.:. 1 FIN/" 2 h Ti iv Q \\\\N 2 K I ollrrflfl m\l 8 2a.! i w 1 b 5 a a a I? 1 L March 7, 1967 United StatesPatent Of 3,308,048 ELECTROLYTIC CLEANING DEVICE Everette C. Olson, 1482College Hill Drive,

Columbus, Ohio 43209 Filed July 25, 1962, Ser. No. 212,301 2 Claims.(Cl. 204-272) This invention relates in general to an electro-chemicalprocess for the creation of reagents in a liquid composition andparticularly to the utilization of such a process for cleaning foreigndeposits from metallic objects.

The present invention in its more general aspect finds utility in thecreation of reagents. The particular interest and unique utility of theprocess is in the cleaning of carbon and chamber combustion depositsfrom metallic objects. It is to be understood, however, the invention isnot limited to a specific workpiece or object to be cleaned and thedeposits may have been made or produced naturally, accidentally, orintentionally. The word cleaning as used hereinafter is defined,therefore, as the act of removing adhering matter from an object withoutparticular regard to the nature of the matter or the composition of theobject. This will include the removal of dirt, scale, rust, oxides anddeposits formed during chemical or physico-chemical actions.

The present invention is an improvement on and relates to my co-pendingapplication, S.N. 171,172, filed February 5, 1962, now Patent No.3,234,047, for method and means for cleaning metal parts. In thatapplication there is disclosed a new and improved cleaning method thatfinds special utility in the cleaning of gasoline combustion chamberdeposits from the spark plug. More specifically, the invention generallycomprises immersing the spark plug or object in a caustic bath, andapplying an electrical current to the bath to impart a pulsating motionto the liquid. Also, the liquid becomes heated in the transformation andcirculation. The pulsating movement of the heated liquid through andaround the object to be cleaned is extremely effective in removing allthe foreign deposits from the entire surface of the object.

Although the method disclosed in my co-pending application was fullyoperable, as intended, certain undesirable results did occur withrespect to the design of the components and particularly the combustionchamber.

The present invention discloses a new and improved electro-chemicaltransducer for use in the process. This new element improves the action,increases its efficiency and most significantly increases the capacityof the process.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention toprovide a new and improved electro-chemical process for the removal offoreign matter from a workpiece without damage thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new combustionchamber in a liquid bath.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedcleansing device that employs a liquid bath that has a pulsatingcirculatory motion imparted thereto and is heated to enhance thecirculatory action of the liquid.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved cleansing device that is relatively simple in operation anddoes not require trained or skilled operators.

Finally, another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved cleansing'device that is comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture and utilizes mostly conventional components.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description when taken in conjunction withthe drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a preferred embodiment of the invention shown incross-section;

3,308,048 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 FIG. 2 is a preferred construction ofthe electrode taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an alternative construction of the electrode taken along lines2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention generally comprising a container 20. The support22 includes a housing 30 with a plurality of receptacles 25a-25n thereinfor receiving the workpieces or objects to be cleaned as explainedhereinafter. Within the container is a conducting fluid 11 that iscirculated through the combustion chamber 30, through the receptaclesand around the objects 10. To cause the continuous circulatory movementof the fluids, centerpiece 40 further includes electrical means forinterjecting an electrical current to the fluid in the chamber. Thiscurrent, through violent chemical action, i.e., violent agitation,causes a pulsating wave to be imparted to the conducting fluid togetherwith a heating action. The pulsating and heating action on the fluidcauses the fluid to circulate in a continuous motion, as indicated bythe arrow flow pattern, around the object 10 to be cleaned.

Referring specifically to the drawing, container 20 may be of thepolyethylene plastic or other plastic material; alternatively, container20 may be of glass or of asphalt base. Within the container 20, thefluid may be potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, in a concentratedsaturated alkaline solution. Also within the container 20, and immersedin the caustic solution, is the support piece 22. This support piece ispreferably of ceramic, but may be rubber or other material. In the upperportion of the support 22 there is positioned a receptacle 30 forholding the object 10 to be cleaned in the caustic solution. The sizeand shape of the receptacle is, of course, dependent upon the size,shape and number of objects to be cleaned at any given time. In thepreferred embodiment of the FIG. 1, plurality holders 25a-2Sn are shownto receive the objects, such as plug 10, to be cleaned. The receptacleis therefore made of a general shape to support, in an upright position,the workpiece.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown, in more particular detail, theelectro-chemical transducer comprising the center section and endsection 41. Electrode 50 is a sturdy electrical conductor adapted at itsupper end to receive one line 81 of an alternating current source 80.The lower end of electrode 50 is terminated in a cup-shaped metallic endmember 53, having a relatively sharp upper edge 47 of the upright side45. Insulating material 43 positions the end of the electrode 50 in theend member 53. The upper end of the insulating material 43 is extendedto form the dielectric baffle 40. Spatially positioned around theupright side of the end member 53, is a cylindrical metallic member 57.To insure the proper spacing of elements, a dielectric material 51 isprovided. Completing the electrochemical transducer is the outer wall41. This wall 41 is also a metallic cylindrical member and spatiallypositioned on the outside of the metallic cylinder 57. To insure a fluidflow path and yet maintain electrical contact betweeen the metalliccylinders 41 and 57, metal spacers, in this instance a metal spring 49,is utilized.

In operation of the combustion chamber shown in the FIG. 2, one side ofan alternating electrical source 80 via lead 81 and choke 83 isconnected to the electrode and the other side of the source via lead 82is connected to the outer wall 41. Choke 83 is a current limitingelement during warm-up of the fluid and further acts to magnify thevoltage imparted to the electrode. In this way a relation betweenelectrical field strength, temperature and the concentration of thereactant is established by the transducer and 45. This electrical fieldcauses a combustion, i.e., violent agitation, in the fluid in the re-.gion of the strongest electrical field, in this embodiment the exposedupper edge 47 of wall 45 and the upper edge 59 of cylinder 57. Thecombustion, in turn, causes the fluid in the area A to sputter andbecome violently heated. When the fluid in this localized area arrivesat a state where combustion can no longer occur, the combustiblecomponents in the fluid are consumed and the combustion ceases. Thecombustion, however, will have caused the fluid to become agitated andheated, giving rise to a thermal current causing the resultant localizedexplosion to propagate into the neighboring region of weaker field. Inessence, this action washes away the non-combustible fluid andintroduces, through the closed fluid loop, cool combustible fluid. Withthe new fluid now surrounding the exposed areas, combustion againoccurs. This cycle of combustion and non-combustion occurs repetitivelyat a frequency less than the power line frequency.

The fluid being subjected to pulsating agitation in the combustionchamber is forced up between the two cylinders 41 and 57 along the wallsof the dielectric baflie 40 through the workpiece receptacles 25a-25nsupported and extending through the member 30 and down the walls of thecontainer and then back into the combustion chamher.

To be noted specifically is the arrangement of components in thecombustion chamber to insure the proper fluid circulatory path. The twocylinders 41 and 57 drop lower into the liquid composition than thecenter electrode 50. In this way, the cool liquid is continuouslyintroduced into the combustion area. To provide a strong fluid flow, inthe nature of a jet, the dielectric baffle 40 extends from the point ofcombustion upwards to the support 30. To assist in the jet action, thecylinder 41 extends upwards of the cylinder 57. That is, the innercylinder 41 is terminated at the same point as the inner electrodemember 47. At the ends of these two electrodes, combustion occurscausing a shock wave to be set up. The two wallsthe dielectric baflle 40and the cylinder 57 guide the fluid flow upwards.

The configuration described above gives a complete circulatory actionthroughout the chamber. It has been found in some instances, such aswith the application of the system to small components, that a quickresponse to the violent chemical action is desired. Referring now toFIG. 3, there is shown an alternative embodiment wherein the dielectricbaffle has been altered and the outer wall eliminated. In this way, thefluid path is controlled and the immediate combustion creates a verysmall circulatory movement in the immediate vicinity of the ends 73 and79 of the electrodes 74 and 78. With increased usage of the chamber,complete circulatory action will, of course, result.

In the theoretical operation of the combustion chamber of the presentinvention, when an electrical field is set up, an alternatingelectrolysis occurs. The alternating field causes alternately abreakdown and then a recombining of the components. Additionally, withthe accumulation of combustible components, there is ignition by theelectric field and consequently there is a localized explosion at theends of the two electrodes. The combination of the recyclingelectrolysis process, with the brute force created by the explosion,plus the thermal effect, causes the fluid to be rapidly displaced. Thesecontinual explosions drive the reactive components from the region ofthe very strong field, and by the driving force, the components of thesolution are forcibly driven apart and not permitted to recombine.

Although the combustion chamber described herein is especially suitablefor chemically removing foreign matter from metallic objects, it is notintended to be so limited. The process of the present invention is alsouseful in creating reagents. As typical examples in a solution of sodiumchloride the process can create free chlorine C1 and hypochlorous acidHOCl; in a solution of sodium hydroxide there is created hydrogen Hoxygen 0 and ozone O and in a mixture of sodium chloride and sodiumhydroxide, there is created sodium hypochloride NaOCl and hydrogen HSimilarly, most any other conducting solution of solutes and solventswill react in the process to create reagents.

Although there is described certain and specific illustrations of theinvention, departures may be had thereto without departing from its truespirit and scope.

What is claimed is: I

1. A device for cleaning foreign deposits from metallic objectscomprising a container adapted to retain a conducting fluid therein, acombustion region, means for supporting said objects in said container,and an electro-' chemical transducer positioned in said region, saidtransducer comprising a pair of coaxially positioned spaced electrodes,the first of said electrodes extending from said support and terminatingin an upright enlarged cup-like end member having the rim thereof inelectrical contact with said fluid and the space in said cup memberbeing filled with a dielectric material and the second of saidelectrodes further comprising a cylinder spatially posi-' tioned aroundthe outer wall of said end member and in electrical contact with saidfluid, the space between said:

cylinder and the outer wall of said cup member having a dielectricmaterial therein, the uppermost rim of said cylinder in said cup memberbeing in alignment to define said region, means for applying a source ofalternating electrical potential to said electrodes to impart apulsating action in said fluid, and means for restricting the move mentof said fluid to force the fluid in a continuous pul-- sating movementin the spacing between said electrodes.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for re-' stricting themovement of said fluid includes a second metallic cylinder spaciallypositioned around the outer wall of said first cylinder and means formaintaining electrical contact between said first and said secondcylinders.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,940,775 12/1933Smith 10323 1.5 2,678,377 5/1954 Justiz 219293 2,729,737 1/1956 Choussy219-290 2,779,695 1/1957 Brown 134-1 7 JOHN H. MACK, Primary Examiner.

A. B. CURTIS, D. JORDAN, Assistant Examiners,

1. A DEVICE FOR CLEANING FOREIGN DEPOSITS FROM METALLIC OBJECTSCOMPRISING A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO RETAIN A CONDUCTING FLUID THEREIN, ACOMBUSTION REGION, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID OBJECTS IN SAID CONTAINER,AND AN ELECTROCHEMICAL TRANSDUCER POSITIONED IN SAID REGION, SAIDTRANSDUCER COMPRISING A PAIR OF COAXIALLY POSITIONED SPACED ELECTRODES,THE FIRST OF SAID ELECTRODES EXTENDING FROM SAID SUPPORT AND TERMINATINGIN AN UPRIGHT ENLARGED CUP-LIKE END MEMBER HAVING THE RIM THEREOF INELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID FLUID AND THE SPACE IN SAID CUP MEMBERBEING FILLED WITH A DIALECTRIC MATERIAL AND THE SECOND OF SAIDELECTRODES FURTHER COMPRISING A CYLINDER SPATIALLY POSITIONED AROUND THEOUTER WALL OF SAID END MEMBER AND IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT THE OUTER WALLOF SAID CUP MEMBER HAVING A DIELECTRIC MATERIAL THEREIN, THE UPPERMOSTRIM OF SAID CYLINDER IN SAID CUP MEMBER BEING IN ALIGNMENT TO DEFINESAID REGION, MEANS FOR APPLYING A SOURCE OF ALTERNATING ELECTRICALPOTENTIAL TO SAID ELECTRODES TO IMPART A PULATING ACTION IN SAID FLUID,AND MEANS FOR RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FLUID TO FORCE THE FLUIDIN A CONTINUOUS PULSATING MOVEMENT IN THE SPACING BETWEEN SAIDELECTRODES.